How to Make a Sidecar

The Sidecar stands as one of the most venerated cocktails that you’ll learn about when starting out behind the bar.  You need to know how to make one.  Today we’ll focus on making the cocktail as it is most commonly found, served up with a sugared rim.  Most places you’ll tend bar at don’t allow bar staff to flame garnishes.  This recipe takes that into account.

Grab a martini glass and fill with ice.  Set aside.

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker combine:

1.5 ounces of Cognac (Hennessey V.S. recommended)

1 ounce of Cointreau

½ ounce of fresh lemon juice.

Shake ingredients vigorously for 10-12 seconds.  Set aside.

Take a lemon wedge.  Dump the ice out of the martini glass and run the lemon wedge around the rim of the glass.

Rim the glass in extra fine granulated cane sugar careful to only line the outside of the glass with sugar.  Knock off any loose sugar from the rim.  We talk about rimming glassware in this post here.

Strain contents from cocktail shaker into the chilled sugar-rimmed martini glass. Tighten the lemon twist and squeeze across the top of the cocktail.  Discard the lemon twist before setting half a quartered orange wedge on the rim of the glass.

Cheers!